Happy Now?

by S M Mala

  ‘What sort of a friend is he?’

  ‘You guys were young,’ said Harry gently, pushing Ed’s drink towards him. ‘Young men and their hormones. I’m not saying what he did was acceptable but it explains his reaction. He’s not angry, he’s scared she’ll say something and she did.’

  Ed looked at his friend’s sympathetic face and shook his head, feeling bitterly disappointed with Lee.

  He couldn’t understand the lie.

  Let the attempted rape on Flora alone.

  ‘She was going to come and find me but couldn’t after what Lee had done.’ He buried his head in his hands. ‘Twenty-five years later, I find her again and it’s horrible, really horrible.’

  He felt an arm on his shoulder and looked up at Harry.

  ‘You don’t know how I feel,’ Ed said, letting out a painful sigh. ‘After we were in the van then I stayed the night round hers on Saturday. It was like, I don’t know. I felt exhilarated, probably excited but most of all, god I want her so much.’

  ‘You’re talking about sex?’ whispered Harry, quickly putting his glass to his lips, his eyes darting around.

  ‘I’m talking about her body and soul. I want it.’

  ‘Jesus! That’s deep.’

  ‘But she won’t let me go near her breasts,’ he whispered, seeing Harry put his head down like a naughty boy hearing something he shouldn’t. ‘I want to see her, touch her, feel her but I know Flora thinks I’ll reject her. I won’t.’

  ‘Okay, okay, let’s slow down. You’ve got a raging horn for Flora and you seem to be smitten, like a teenager.’

  ‘I hate Lee.’

  ‘A jealous teenager.’

  ‘I want her to trust me.’

  ‘How can she trust anyone when the man she married rejected her when she got ill? Even if she doesn’t love him anymore, it’s a wound of some sort.’ He shook his head before starting to grin. ‘What is it about her?’

  Ed suddenly sat up and couldn’t help but smile.

  ‘She’s just…’ There were no words he could think of. ‘Flora.’

  ‘Well, thank god you never became a writer because, mate, you’d have failed,’ he laughed and finished his pint. ‘Same again?’

  ‘Yeah,’ he said, knocking back his drink.

  Ed grabbed his phone and sent her a text.

  They’d hardly spoken since Monday but he knew if he did hear her voice, he’d just run round to her house.

  ‘Hope you’re having a good evening.’

  Harry was right. He wasn’t very good with words.

  ‘Just had my first glass of wine and the kids have gone to bed. Are you still coming to sand the shelves tomorrow? Can I make us lunch? F x.’

  He laughed. It was involuntary but he didn’t know why.

  ‘That would be great but no exploding cakes. Ed xxx.’

  There was a quick response.

  ‘I can’t wait to xxx you.’

  ‘You look like a man possessed,’ Harry said returning to the table. Ed put his phone away. ‘Were you texting Flora?’

  Ed glanced at his friend then looked around the pub. It was full of familiar faces and all he wanted to do was to get in his car and see her. That was the only thing on his mind.

  ‘You’ve got it bad, haven’t you?’ Harry whispered, grinning mischievously. ‘Listen, you were a teenage love affair that lasted one night and-.'’

  ‘I liked her for years and she liked me,’ he said, sipping his drink and grinning. ‘It just took me a while to get her.’

  ‘Which was in the back of a van. I’ll remember that technique as it worked.’

  ‘Twice,’ Ed replied, putting up two fingers to demonstrate.

  ‘Just make sure you’re not going to get your hopes dashed. You’re adults now with a lot of baggage, the pair of you. Things aren’t going to be easy and you work with Matias. Those contracts are worth a fortune and you can’t throw that away.’

  ‘I won’t do anything stupid and I know what you’re saying.’ Ed smiled again and leaned forward. ‘But the thing is, when I was in bed with her and she was sleeping in my arms, I felt good for the first time in years. We talk, you see. Talk about things I don’t usually want to and it’s amazing. This is so different.’

  ‘Didn’t you say that about Jessica?’ grimaced Harry, pulling out a packet of crisps from his pocket and opening them. ‘Don’t rush in and make a mistake. What if, and I’m just saying, that when you see her naked, it’s not the same teenage girl you remembered. With the operation on her breasts, that’s going to be hard to take. I know what you’re like. Your face betrays it even if you don’t say a thing.’

  Taking a deep breath and a large gulp of his beer, Ed thought hard about what his friend said, knowing it was the truth.

  ‘That’s the last thing I’d want to do is upset her. When she told me what Matias said, when she told him before landing that punch, I knew it’s what she thought about herself. And I don’t know how to make her see it’s not important.’

  ‘Are you listening to me? If she sees that it matters to you then she won’t want to carry on. I expect she’ll think you’ll feel the same way as her ex.’

  ‘But I won’t.’

  ‘How do you know?’ Taking a large amount of crisps and shoving them into his mouth, Harry chewed slowly. ‘I look at the emergency caesarean scar that Virginia has on her stomach and sometimes swallow hard. Not because I find it repulsive but because they butchered her poor skin. And it’s when I look at the scar that never healed well, I know it’s there for a reason. Because it saved the life of the woman I loved and our baby. She hates it when I look at it, even touch it, but it’s part of her and what makes me love her more.’ He stared straight at Ed. ‘And those scars on Flora’s breasts meant that if she hadn’t have had her operation, you would never have met and she might not be here.’

  ‘You’re an amazing man, do you know that?’ sighed Ed, knowing what his friend was saying to him. ‘Love the flaws because that’s what makes her perfect.’

  ‘Is she perfect?’

  ‘To me, she is.’

  ‘And are you in love?’

  ‘I never was out of love with Flo.’

  ‘Why are you here?’

  … Flora asked, seeing Faith on her doorstep early on Saturday morning.

  ‘And why are you looking nice?’ her sister replied, barging past her into the house.

  Flora looked down at her simply cut blue dress that skimmed her body without emphasising anything.

  ‘You can’t just turn up, Faith. I’m busy and-.'

  ‘Didn’t Lola tell you?’ she replied, walking straight towards the living room.

  ‘Auntie Faith!’ shouted Lola, running and giving her a hug.

  ‘She never greets me like that,’ mumbled Flora, following Faith into the room.

  ‘You didn’t tell your mum?’ asked Faith, hugging the dear life out of the child. ‘You look more beautiful every time I see you. Where’s Max?’ She looked around and Flora saw her disgruntled son sitting at the dining table. ‘What are you doing?’

  ‘She’s making me do my summer homework before I go to William’s party,’ he said, flashing Flora a mean glance. ‘And I don’t want to do it.’

  ‘But it’s a beautiful sunny Saturday. You should be playing,’ Faith said, walking towards Max and giving him a big hug, her hand firmly clasping Lola’s. ‘Your sister and I are going shopping.’

  ‘Shopping?’ Flora said, looking at the eyes staring back at her. That’s when she realised Lola looked like Faith and the DNA genetic link of fast and loose bolted into her brain. ‘Why wasn’t I told and where are you going?’

  ‘I thought Auntie Faith would say,’ Lola replied, looking up at Faith. ‘I wondered why you didn’t say anything. Only down the road to Westfield.’

  ‘Right,’ Flora said, not upset with how it was turning out.

  Max had to get to William’s house in forty five minutes and didn’t need to be picked up by three. Lola, by going
out with Faith, meant she would be with Ed on her own. He said he’d be arriving at ten.

  ‘How much money do you want?’ she said, looking at Faith’s mouth drop open. ‘I’ll put money towards something sensible for Lola and I’ll pay for lunch. How’s that?’

  ‘Really?’ said Faith, walking up to Flora and putting a hand to her head. ‘Are you feeling alright?’

  ‘Look,’ she said, removing her sister’s chubby hand off her face. ‘There’s one week left before they go back to school and we’re having the fund raising on Monday. I have things to do and I need to prepare. It’s a good idea to take Lola out and aim to get home for four at the latest. I have to pick up Max before then. Where’s your son?’

  ‘With his father,’ she sniffed. ‘He’s spending the weekend there.’

  ‘Ah, so you want to borrow my child?’

  ‘I’ve got nothing else to do,’ she shrugged, helping herself to the biscuit jar. ‘And even though I haven’t got any money, I wanted to spend some time with her.’

  ‘Jesus,’ Flora mumbled, running up the stairs to her bedroom.

  When she got to her wardrobe, she slid back the door and went to her stash of money hidden in the corner.

  That’s when she saw it.

  The art box and realised the man who made it was coming to see her.

  Her skin broke out into goose bumps and she couldn’t breathe for a moment.

  Grabbing one hundred pounds which she knew was overly generous, but it came from the selling of the presents Matias had bought her over the years which fetched a tidy sum, Flora ran back downstairs.

  ‘Here,’ she said, discreetly putting the money in her sister’s hand. ‘Don’t count it but I know how much is there. I want to see receipts just in case you buy my baby something completely unsuitable and it has to be returned.’ The dirty look she got from Faith was priceless making Flora smile. She planted a kiss on her cheek before whispering. ‘Thank you. Lola has been up and down this summer with boys and stuff.’

  ‘I know,’ her sister replied, looking at the cash in her hand.

  ‘What have you been doing to get this?’

  ‘Selling my body to blind people,’ Flora replied making Faith laugh.

  ‘I was going to tell Lola about boys and-’

  ‘Not you don’t!’ hissed Flora, pulling her sister away from her daughter’s quizzical look. ‘You don’t tell her your theory on boys, do you hear me.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Faith?’

  ‘What are you implying?’

  ‘You know what I’m saying.’

  ‘Just because I have a more free loving nature that you, doesn’t mean to say we’re all the same. What? Just because you were a virgin until you were twenty-four.’

  ‘And I want Lola to stay a virgin until she’s thirty!’ grimaced Flora, knowing her sister believed her virtuous lie. ‘Don’t tell her it’s okay to sleep with boys or let them touch you.’

  ‘Listen you,’ Faith said, pointing a finger in Flora’s face which was slapped away. ‘Any boy even looks at my niece, they’ve had it.’

  ‘Why? Because you’re going to threaten them with sex?’

  ‘Exactly,’ grinned her sister before laughing hard. ‘Trust me. I might have a loving spirit and body but men are men at the end of the day.’

  ‘How’s the vicar?’ Flora asked and watched Faith pull a face. ‘Things not good?’

  ‘Honestly?’ she said, taking Flora into the kitchen and looking around. ‘This place looks really nice, you know. You need curtains not blinds.’

  ‘Tell me.’

  ‘We consummated our relationship,’ Faith whispered making Flora’s mouth drop open. ‘Oh, you thought we’d done that?’

  ‘It’s you Faith. People shake hands but you shag.’

  ‘I’ll ignore what you just said,’ Faith sniffed. ‘Well, being he is a man of the cloth I thought that I’d wait until it was right. And when we did do it last week, it was wrong. Very, very wrong.’

  ‘He kept his dog collar on?’ giggled Flora, checking the time and knowing it wasn’t long before Ed would turn up.

  ‘We’re not compatible.’

  Flora examined her sister’s face, seeing she was avoiding eye contact and tried to figure out when any man and Faith weren’t compatible for sex.

  ‘I’m confused,’ she eventually said, meeting her sister’s rolling eyes. ‘I thought you really liked him.’

  ‘How can I put this without watching you look like you’re going to be sick? He doesn’t like using his fingers in certain areas and certainly not his mouth. His appendage? It’s like, let me think. If you imagine a man’s bit is like a wooden rod, his will be a splinter.’

  Flora choked on her spit before laughing loudly.

  Only her sister could sum up a small dick like that.

  Then again, Faith had a lot of experiences.

  Ten past ten there was a knock on the door.

  The house was empty and she had been nervously waiting.

  As she opened the door, Ed put his finger to his lips and she realised Simon was behind him. Flora was going to fling her arms around Ed but was startled into keeping still.

  There was a heaving in her chest which then released bubbles in her stomach and an urgent need to touch the man standing directly in front of her.

  Even she knew she was on heat and wondered if it showed.

  ‘Hello,’ she said, her voice slightly faltering. ‘And what a lovely surprise! How are you Simon?’ She was met with a half-smile from the young man. ‘I take it you’re doing this against your will?’

  ‘He’s getting double time, cash for working two hours though, frankly, he owes me money for the amount of damages,’ sighed Ed, starting to grin. ‘Hello Flora, you look nice.’ Then he put his hand out and Flora shook it as Simon rolled his eyes and laughed at his uncle behind his back, making her smile. ‘Are you going anywhere with Lola this morning?’

  ‘Faith kidnapped my child to take her shopping so I’m kiddie free until three.’

  ‘Really?’ he said and the smile quickly faded. ‘You’re alone?’

  ‘Yes but I’ve got to get all the things ready for the fundraising on Monday. Are you coming Simon? I think your grandma said she’d be turning up if she feels better.’

  ‘Alone?’ whispered Ed, pulling a puzzled expression before glancing over his shoulder at Simon.

  ‘Come in. I’ll make tea while you set up,’ she said, not sure what Ed was thinking.

  They walked past her and into the study, putting down some tools.

  She put the kettle on and heard them talking quietly.

  ‘Really?’ said Simon loudly, sounding delighted before hearing more whispering.

  Then within seconds the noise of sanders started and she realised they’d closed the door. Making the tea, she wondered why Ed pulled a funny face then she heard the door being opened and he came out.

  Again it hit her like it did when she saw him as a teenager.

  The man was simply gorgeous and the smile lighting up his face said it all.

  ‘You never told me you’d be alone,’ he said, moving closer as she handed him a cup. He leaned down and kissed her fingers, making Flora smile. ‘I thought Lola was going to be here.’

  ‘I didn’t know she’d arrange to go shopping with Faith,’ sighed Flora, grinning, unable to stop her face betraying how she felt. Deliriously happy. ‘And why are you punishing your nephew?’

  ‘Well,’ he said, pushing his hand through his hair. ‘I thought if he was here then I’d be less distracted.’

  ‘Distracted?’

  ‘You can’t look nice when I turn up as it means I won’t concentrate,’ he said, looking at her up and down. ‘Why don’t you try to look like you’ve just rolled out of bed?’ Then he grimaced. ‘No, don’t look like that then I won’t get any work done.’

  Flora started to laugh and handed him the other cup of tea.

  ‘I have a plan,’ he sighed, quickly glanc
ing over his shoulder. ‘You carry on doing what you’re doing and I’ll sort it.’

  ‘Sort what?’

  ‘You’ll see.’

  For the next hour she stayed upstairs and tidied up, taking things she might donate for the fete and then headed to her bedroom. She put the radio on and went through her clothes, putting the items she wanted to give away to one side.

  Carefully she’d chosen things that Matias had bought for her and she didn’t like.

  The pile was building up.

  ‘Really?’ she said, holding up a wraparound pink floral number against her plain dress.

  Then she remembered wearing it and how uncomfortable she felt. He always wanted her to girlie up a bit and she laughed that it could have been the reason why he was interested in younger women.

  Matias preferred cute and naïve than old and cynical.

  After she’d gone through everything, her wardrobe looked better and she started to put the clothing into garment bags to take to the charity shop.

  As she stood, she felt something touch her neck which startled her as an arm wrapped around her waist.

  Ed was standing behind her, his mouth kissing her skin.

  ‘You made me jump,’ she said, gulping hard and dropping everything in her hands.

  He turned her around and kissed her, making her lose the ability to breath.

  ‘We’ve been working like madmen for the past ninety minutes and all I need to do is seal the wood. That will take longer as I want to use an oil that has to be rubbed in by hand which might take years,’ he said as Flora still had her eyes shut and was listening. ‘Which means I sent him home.’

  Opening her eyes quickly, she just pushed him onto the mattress, making him laugh. Flora kissed his face and straddled him, holding his arms above his head.

  ‘I need to kiss you all over again,’ she said as he grinned. ‘But first, you need to get naked.’

  She pulled off his t-shirt, inhaling his scent and tugged off his jeans, underpants and socks in one fail swoop.

  ‘I’m impressed,’ he said, looking flushed.

  He then got up and threw her on her back onto the mattress before jumping on top, smothering her in a kiss. His tongue searched her mouth and she felt him push up her dress.